Self-Confidence

In the self-esteem and self-help world self-confidence is often encouraged. How can you be self-confident if you do not know who or what your inner/real self is?

For the most part self-confident people are confident or sure of whom they are based upon their personality, identity and roles they define themselves by. Self-confidence at this level is basically when someone has become so comfortable and familiar with the roles they have decided to play in life. They have discovered which roles/identities they like that get them what they want out of life. These roles and identities can be, but are not limited to; father, mother, daughter, son, employee, boss, friend, confidant, victim, caretaker, comedian, warrior, etc.

Once this familiarity and system has been worked out they are so comfortable in this identity that to the outside world they appear to be self-confident. Self-confidence is an illusion and a judgment from an external perspective and provides no internal self-satisfaction.

The self commonly spoken of and referred to here, is one that has become an identity taken from the multiple roles that the world offers. From this perspective we would then say that self-confidence is an illusion. Yes, the illusion can be quite convincing and feel very good at times.

Would you rather be an illusionist or the master within?

Let’s refer here to the old Chinese kung fu movies where the master is very humble. In this humility the master never appears to be self-confident or overconfident, at least in a way that is evidently noticeable. I

In theory this master’s humility is his conscious awareness of who he is at his essence. In some ways humility and self-confidence are opposites, at least in appearance. The master does not need to prove or exude any form of appearance. The master often appears to be stupid or “not with it” from an outside perspective. Internally the master is “The Master”. The master is in no need of self-confidence for he possesses a knowingness that cannot be defined.

Do you seek to be self-confident or do you seek to be the master within?

Becoming the master can appear and be experienced as quite challenging at times. This challenge is because you must break down the illusions that you have created based upon what the world has told you that you should be. What has made it even more challenging is that you have chosen to believe the illusion of those roles and breaking that down will at times seem painful. Rest assured that what seems to be pain is the path to your freedom and the joy of your spirit.

Being the master within is the only permanent and true satisfaction you will ever experience.